Tuyere changing machine



Sept 4, 1951 R. A. ROBERTS TUYERE CHANGING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 2, 1946 IN VEN TOR. z H Pofierfw ATTDRN EYS Sept. 4, 1951 R. A. ROBERTS 2,566,637

TUYERE CHANGING MACHINE Filed Jan. 2, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q N w. A MN MW IN VENTOR. Pay H. Eoeria' Sept. 4, 1951 R. A. ROBERTS TUYERE CHANGING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 2, 1946 YEE T. p 7 r w v t i w H a R. A. ROBERTS TUYERE CHANGING MACHINE Sgpt. 4, 1951 4 SheetsSheet Filed Jan. 2, 1946 INVENTOR. zPoy 1Q; @eriw ATTD R N EYE Patented Sept. 4, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TUYERE: CHANGING MACHINE RoyARoberts, Phalanx, Ohio ApplicationJanuary 2, 1946,.SeriallNo. '638,679

1 Claim. (Cl.23-'-200) The invention relates to a parts changing machine for blast furnaces, and more-especially to a 'tuyere changing apparatus for use inblast furnaces or thelike.

The primary object or the invention is the provision of an apparatus of this character, wherein the blow pipe and 'tuyere with adjuncts thereto can be readily and easily removed and placed from an'd'to a'blast furnace or the like with ease and dispatch, without requiring excessive manual labor for so doing, the apparatus being ofnovel construction and is unique in the arrangement of its parts.

Another object of 'the invention is the provision of an apparatus of this'character, wherein a burnt out tuyereof a blast furnace can be detached with ease and dispatch, and without manual'handling thereof, and 'a new tuyere placed 'into position likewise with ease and dispatch and without requiring -manual handling thereof and the adjuncts thereto.

'A further object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus of this character, wherein'it is portable, 'so'that the same can be conveniently brought into 'positionfor' the purposes intended thereof, and the adjustment'of'such apparatus 'is manually effected with .ease and dispatch.

A still further object of theinvention is the provision of an apparatus of this character, which is simple in construction,.thoroughlyrreliable and efficient in operationystrong, durable,

, possessed of few'parts, readily and' easily adjusted for the handling of the work operated upon thereby, and inexpensive to manufacture and install.

With these and other objects in view, .the invention consists in the'features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as-will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which show the preferred embodiment of the invention and pointedJout in'the claim hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a side view of the apparatus constructed in accordance withthe invention in position for the changing of a blast furnace tuyere.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the apparatus adjusted for withdrawing the tuyere.

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the apparatus.

Figure 4 is a fra mentary enlarged sectional view taken on theline 4-4 :of.Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the ,tuyere'similar to Figure 1, showing the keyed arrangement of the apparatus therewith.

. Figure 6-is a top plan-view o'f the apparatus.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary side view showing '2 by 'dottedlines the manner of carrying the blow pipe for the furnace when handled by'the apparatus.

Figure 8 is asectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 7, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 9 is-a fragmentaryview partly broken'away of the bridle bolt "assembly and its associated parts.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout-the several views in the drawings.

Referring tothe drawings'indetail, A designates generally a blast furnace tuyre through which enters the hot blast to the furnace, a portion of the latter being identified at B, this tuyere as usual is associated with a blow pipe 10, and. adjuncts'thereto, these being protected from intense heat inside the furnace by water coolers H and l2,'respectively, while the ,pipe has association with anelbow blow stock [3, including a ball-flange coupling M with the'blow conduit -l'5,'thesebeing of the common or well known construction.

A blow pipe seat l fi'is provided on'the stock l3, and the coupling M has' the link I! connection with the stock l3,"by"a key I8, and an adjunct of the sai'd stock l3is a bridle bolt l9 which also includes a key 2|] and a 'tensioning spring 2|, respectively.

The tuyre changing apparatus constituting the present invention, comprises a carriage 22 provided with caster wheels '23 beneath the base of its chassisfram'e 24, -so that the carriage can be moved from one locality to another, and brought into position for operation. For a distance vertically at opposite'en'dsof the carriage 22 isdisposed upstanding corner feed screws 25, each 'rotatably supported in "flxed upper and lower brackets 2-6 and 21, respectively, vertically spaced from each other on the carriage. These screws 25 'adjustably feed crosswise raising and'lowering rails 28 at opposite ends of such carriage, while mounted-"centrally"superimposed on these rails 2 8 in a longitudinal direction of the carr'iage22 is. a platform 29 which is horizontally arranged-and-equippe'd therewith is a similarly arranged feed screw"'shaft 36, suitably supported in bearings (ii at opposite ends of the platform. Thesha'ffihas threaded thereto ashiftable blocklike runner 32, which is moved'back'an'd forth through the use'of the worm gear and pinion 33 and 34, respectively, meshing with each other, and operatedby-a hand-"wheel '35, the gear and pinionbeing located at theend of the platform remote from the 'approaching end ofthe carriage tothe work to' be operated upon.

"Carried by'the'runrier is'a'ram 36, which at its inner downwardly curved end "31 has connection with the runner by a pivot 38 for vertical swinging movement of such ram. This ram is fitted with a detachable hammer head 39 by a releasa ble pin 40, at the outer end of such ram, while iprovided inwardly of the latter with respect to the head is a wedge key slot 4| for a removable wedge key 42. This head and key enable the placement or removal of the tuyere tip created by the cooler I I, as best seen in Figures 2, 4 and 5 of the drawings, in the use of the ram. In Fig. 2 the head 39 is shown in position to remove the tuyre. The head 39 will enter thetuyere and it is then adjusted so that it will engage the marginal rim of the tuyere to permit its removal.

The ram 36 is angularly swingable vertically by a rocking elbow 43, connected by a pivot 44 forwardly of the pivot 38 for the said ram. The elbow 43 is adjusted by a feed screw 45 supported in the bearing 45 rising vertically from the runner 32 and of upwardly tapered formation, the screw 45 being engaged with the elbow 43 by a loose pin and slot connection 47 with the latter, while such screw is adjusted by a worm gear and pinion 48 and 49, respectively, hand driven at 58.

The feed screws have associated therewith hand driven gearing 5I for the raising and lowering of the platform 29 to different horizontal planes in placing the tuyre and its removal to and from the furnace, together with adjuncts of such tuyere.

Built with opposite sides of the carriage 22 at the top longer edges thereof are horizontal tracks 52 forming guides for a pair of opposed movable runners 53, each carrying a ram 54 of short formation, and also horizontally arranged, and has a detachable and adjustable hammer head 55, the tracks 52 being fitted to feed screws 56, each operated by hand actuated worm gear and pinion connections 51, and this screw is threaded into the runner 53 companion thereto, so that it can be moved forwardly and backwardly, as may be desired. The hammers 55, each is for driving and releasing the key I8 in the path thereof, one at each'side of the stock I3 in association with the coupling I4, before described.

The ram 36 has detachably fitted therein a pair of spaced stirrups 58 which are of hook form, and these are adapted to accommodate the blow pipe I when released from the tip formed by the cooler I I and extracted from the cooler I2, or for placement therein, as best seen in Figures 7 and 8 of the drawings.

The ram 36 is also usable for releasing or ap-' plying the key 20 of the bridle bolt I9, in that the tension of the spring 2| can be relieved for such release and application of this key 26, as best seen in Figure 1 of the drawings.

The removal of the key 29 is accomplished by the spring engaging and compressing member 59 which is adapted to be removably positioned in the openings 60 in the ram 36. In Figs. 2 and 5 the member 59 is positioned out of position for 1 engagement with the spring 2| but in Fig. 1 the member 59 is shown compressing the spring 2| to permit the removal of the key 20.

There has thus been provided a tuyere changing machine'which is equipped with power ham mers that can be positioned as desired to drive the key I3 in or out of the link II, a ram 39 that can be positioned at Various angles by means of the screw 45 powered by the gear and pinion 4'8 and 49 respectively, the screw being mounted on '4 The carriage 22 is adjustable at each corner by means of the screws 25.

In use, the ram 36 compresses the spring on the bridle bolt I9 until the key 20 thereon can be removed. The runner 32 is then moved rearwardly to permit the bridle bolt to fall clear. causing the blow pipe II] to move the stock I 3 back to clear, and the pipe II] is suspended in position by the stirrups 58. The ram 36 is then moved forward enough to let the blow pipe clear the seat I6. The ram is then inserted through enough for the head 39 to engage the nose of the tuyre while it is pulled out. The new tuyere is picked up by the ram, the key 42 is inserted, and the ram forces the new tuyere into position. The blow pipe is then placed in the seat I6 of the stock I3. The stock is then lowered into position, the bridle bolt is raised into place and spring compressed until the key 29 can be replaced. The stock I3 is then raised into position by driving the key I8 into the link I 1 with the power hammers 55.

The apparatus does not of itself place the pipe I 5 and stock I5 in position. After the tuyre has been inserted into position the apparatus is removed from its inserting position and the pipe I0 and stock I3 are manually positioned. Then the apparatus is returned to position so that the power hammers 55 can place the keys I8 into position. The apparatus is adapted to be moved into and out of position to pull or push the tuyere for the removal or insertion thereof. In other words by manually pushing the apparatus the tuyere is inserted and by manually pulling the apparatus the tuyere is removed. Thus the action is accomplished by a manually movable apparatus and not a fixed apparatus. The apparatus is not held stationary during the pulling and pushing of the tuyre for the removal and insertion thereof. Therefore there is no necessity to provide means for the anchoring of the apparatus.

What is claimed is:

In an apparatus of the kind described, having a carriage provided with a bottom chassis frame having rollers, raising and lowering cross rails located at opposite ends of the carriage, means for raising and lowering the said rails, a plat-' form carried by the rails, a runner movable back and forth on the platform, means for moving the runner, the improvement comprising a vertically swingable ram fitted to the runner, means for adiustably swinging the ram to working positions, said means comprising a rocking elbow engageable with the ram, a carriage to which the ram and rocking elbow is pivotally connected and operational means engaging said carriage and said rocking elbow whereby said ram is operated.

ROY A. ROBERTS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

